Woodscraper to Replace Skyscraper?

The Elastic Woodscraper II was designed by Weingartner Architects as a possible solution to all the negative prospects of growing city populations, such as social alienation, limited resources, urbanization, and others. The Elastic Woodscraper II is envisioned in a way that promotes sustainability, social cohesion and efficiency.

As the name suggests, 70 percent of the structure would be made of wood. The skyscraper has a central concrete core that is designed to hold the so-called “skycubes”. Within the core there would be five elevators, as well as stairs and risers for plumbing pipes and electricity. There would also be a lobby and an underground parking garage.

Each woodscraper could hold up to nine skycubes, each of which would be split into five floors and contain 15 apartments. The apartments would be of various sizes, ranging from 646 square feet to 1,023 square feet. However, the actual livable space in the apartment would be further increased by fitting the units with six of Elastic Living moving furniture units made by Angelo Roventa.

Each of the units would also feature floor-to-ceiling windows, which would let in plenty of natural daylight. Each skycube would also have a rooftop terrace, while there would also be communal areas such as an urban garden, a playground, a whirlpool and sauna, a barbecue area, and a sun deck.

The building would also feature a so-called glass skin, which would have light transmission properties that can be altered depending on need by applying a current to it. This would reduce the cost of heating, air conditioning, as well as lighting, since there would be no need for light screens, blinds or curtains.

The building would also have a combined heat and power station, as well as a heat pump and a heat recovery ventilation system. Energy expenditure would be monitored via smart home features and apps.

Weingartner Architects is currently offering the Elastic Woodscraper II design to developers. According to them, negotiations are already taking place in Switzerland.